The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-10-20

notwithstanding the fact that Mr..
Foraker never lets an opportunity 60 by
to protest his friendship for the soldiers,
there are some things that he and his
legislature have done in order to curry
favor, and to provide for a lot of personal
hangers-on which he is very, very care
full not to parade before the voters
whom he addresses.
"THE ROSTER sTaAL."
Amid the reckless extravaganza and
unparalleled squandering of the public
moneys during the present Republican
State Administration, nothing has yet
been told the taxpayers concerning the
culpable mismanagement and criminal
wastefulness going ON in connection
with the Roster Department. so-called.
The time has come for ventilating this
| steal.
The last Democratic Legislature, on
| the 10Th of March, 1884, adopted Joint
resolution, providing for the publica-
tion, in book form, Of the complete ros-
| ter of Ohio soldiers in the last two
| wars. On the 14th of April, 1884, the
| sum of five thousand dollars was ap-
| propriated, for the purpose of begin
ming the work of carrying into effect
said resolution; and during the session
| OF 1885, the further sum of nine thou
sand five hundred dollars was appro-
priated for the purpose of continuing
the work.
From the time the work was begun,
in 1884, till the Inauguration of Cover
nor Foraker, in January, 1885, Except
from December Is, 1884, to March Ii,
1885, during which time it was suspend
ed, because the first appropriation had
been substantially exhausted,) some
ten clerks, were kept busy, preparing
roster copy for the printer-the time OF
this service be ng about sixteen months.
Far more than half OF the entire work
was well and accurately completed.
when all OF said clerks were swept out
OF office by the Foraker administration,
and Republicans appointed in their
places.
But no payer would for q moment
imagine it possible that men in tkeir
senses could do what was actually done
under the authority and express direc-
ton OF an official trio of whom Governor
Foraker is the chief. Joseph B. Foraker
is president of the Roster Commission.
And now what did this Republican
| commission do?
When they found that the work was
SO nearly completed that the Republic
can appointees would have but q short
Job, the Republican managers decided
to make bonfire of the "copy" pre-
pared during the preceding administra-
ton, which had cost the State about
$4,000, and to begin the work anew, so
as to prolong their tenure OF Office thus
throwing away the work of an average
of ten clerks during sixteen months OF
faithful and pains-taking service, to
promote party ends and objects. This
proceeding is unparalleled in the history
of parties in this State, and Ia unblush-
ingly paraded in the report OF Adjutant-
General Axline for 1885.
Having thus provided for an extend
ed term of service for large number OF
Republican strikers and hangers-on, the
next step was raid upon the late reck-
So apd corrupt Republican Legislature
ior appropriations, This raid was sue
cessfut, notwithstanding all the other
exorbitant and extravagant drafts on
the Treasury by the Republican admin
istration; and during the two sessions
81 since Foraker has been in office, the
enormous and extraordinary sum g
This Roster business. No wonder tha
Governor Foraker, who is 80 profuse il
statistics, makes no alIusion to this enor
nous fraud and steal in any of hi
speeches. No wonder that Mr. Powell
in his Hamilton speech should hav'
said:
another reason the people of Obi
can not afford to endorse the presen
State administrator is because il ha
betn the most extravagant we hay
ever l.al in Ohio"
No won Ter that the Hon. Seth Brown
of Warren County, Chairman of tn
HOUSE Committee on Finance, made th
following declaration upon the ao0r G
= the House of Representatives
j have word to say, and say 1t !
the way OF warning to the Republica
members on this floor. At the preser
rate it will be said, and said truthful
: of this Legislature, that it s0as not OrsI
more ertrarugant than its Democratic pr
decessor, but the most recklessly extrauagal
legislatiW body that ever assembled
RRowN's BRRAK.
But after some of these startling fac
were brought to the notice of the pee
pie, Governor Foraker and his can
paign managers (who are the paid se
wants of the State induced Mr.. Brow
to make the effort to break the force
). the former utterance. Through tt
Z Commercial Gazette of September ~ lSS
u over his own signature and date of Lei
anon, September 9, he undertakes
show that his warning had the effect
check the headlong extravaganza tt
! Republican Legislature was bent ss
u In this connection he says
; "At the present rate, the result
, feared would, perhaps, have bee
i reached; but the rate at which som
= members sought to have appropriation
made aras checked, so that while TIL
{. AGGREGATE AMOUNT EXPEND
+ ED FROM THE GENERAL REV
u ENCIE WAS STILL LARGER THAI
a 1T SHOULD HAVE BEEN" etc.
% Then the tax payers owe Mr.. Brow
thanks for calling halt upon the recl
less extravaganza the Legislature wa
j. indulgipg in, although it did not pre
vent a 'larger" expenditure from th
general revenue than it should hay
been" This is just the point MI
IS Powell and the Democratic press hav
p been trying to make that the expendi
81 lures of the late Republican Legislator
II were larger than they should have been
- and we have to thank Mr. Brown for
"A confirmation of this fact
MIR. Brown, however, was not salts
fed with writing this fact. This wa
so enough; but he appears to have fel
81 called upon to palliate the extravaganc
Ii OF the Legislature, and with that objec
n IN view, he cites the expenditures OF tn
- respective Legislatures from 1876 L
90 1887, both dates inclusive. The las
a. year OF Governor Aliens administration
" was 1875. The expenditures for tina
l. year were-we, are using Mr.. Brown
own figures S., ,2l3, 3,O34.02. The expen
ditures for lSs7-Governor Foraker
last year-are S3,093, As s.73-$sSO, ,42O. =
o. more than Governor Aliens administra
y ton. The last year of the Governor
So Hayes Young administration was 1871
a. and according to Mr. Browns figures
" the expenditures for that year wer
80 $2,9i5,t5S5S = $702, 2,624.56 more thar
the expenditures for the last year o
Governor Aliens administration, an,
Sal, ,S06.18 more than for Governo
Bishops last year, 1879. Then followed
7 four years of Governor Foster, with
Republican Legislature. Let us com
0 pare the expenditures of that admin
4 stration with Governor Foraker's ad
: ministration. Mr.. Brown states III,
9 expen litures for the Foraker admin